Optical communication is the leading solution for high speed, high bandwidth exchange of digital information. Optical communications transmit information over long distances using light signals over light transmitting mediums, such as optical fibers and waveguides.
Information can be carried by the light signals using different types of light sources as optical transmitters (e.g., light emitting diodes (LEDs), infrared light, lasers, and the like). A light signal can be encoded using different types of modulation schemes to vary the optical phase or intensity of the light signal.
Currently, optical signals used for digital communications are processed as electrical signals. However, processing the optical signals as electrical signals uses expensive conversions.